The New
Zealand Herald yesterday reported the story of a woman
targeted by a loan shark operating in a casino. He was
charging her incredibly high interest rates for a loan that
may not even be lawful.

“This case is shocking.
But it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Many more New
Zealanders are suffering after taking on a small debt
lawfully from a loan shark that later balloons out of
control because of the high interest rates they’re being
charged.

“Pay day lenders, loan sharks and truck
shops are thriving in our communities, targeting people who
are struggling to pay their bills.

“This isn’t
a new problem. In fact, Deputy Prime Minister Bill English
acknowledged two years ago that vulnerable Kiwis were being
targeted by credit providers whose behaviour was largely
unregulated.

“Despite that, this Government
hasn’t prioritised the issue. Its failure to do so has
caused terrible stress and financial pain for thousands of
Kiwi families.

“Budget advisors say the problem
is growing with families are forced to take on high interest
loans just to cover everyday costs, including rising power
bills.

“But National has just sat on its hands
for five years watching while families face financial ruin.
It has failed to create jobs that pay decent wages, to
tackle the rising cost of living and it has left vulnerable
families at the mercy of predatory loan
sharks.

“A week ago, a Bill was finally
introduced to Parliament beginning the process of
controlling loan sharks. But it’s a little too late for
many Kiwis whose lives have already been damaged forever,”
said Carol
Beaumont.

The quashing of the convictions of Teina Pora for the rape and murder of Susan Burdett in 1992 has shone a spotlight once again on a major gap in the New Zealand justice system.

To all intents and purposes, access by New Zealanders to the Privy Council has now been closed. Yet the number of times in recent years when the Privy Council has quashed the findings of New Zealand courts has demonstrated that we are regularly(a) jailing the wrong person or(b) arriving at guilty verdicts on grounds sufficiently flawed as to raise serious doubts that a miscarriage of justice has occurred. More>>

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